Alzheimer's Poetry Project:

The Alzheimer's Poetry Project (APP) was sponsored by the Santa Fe Arts Commission and teamed up with Kathleen O'Brien, Senior Vice President of the Alzheimer's Association. It served people with Alzheimer's who lived in assisted living and senior centers. Also, it reached out to the Alzheimer's patient's families and health care providers. They particularly wanted to include Spanish and Native American language speakers. The APP produced a book called Sparking Memories: The Alzheimer's Poetry Project Anthology. When poems from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and other earlier poems were read aloud, it was found that people with Alzheimer's would smile, nod, or make a verbal comment. Normally, these same people were found sitting silently without smiling or talking for days. Poetry can improve the quality of life for many people.
                                                       
            
                                                      POEMS

Pied Beauty

by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Glory be to God for dappled things--
    For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
        For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
    Landscape plotted and pieced--fold, fallow, and plough;
    And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
    Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
        With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
                                        Praise Him.

Jabberwocky

by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
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                               Resource List

Academy of American Poets
www.poets.org

    This is a very comprehensive poetry site. It lists poetry events across the USA, lots of poems, interviews with poets, recordings of poets reading their work, essays, and more.

American Life in Poetry
www.americanlifeinpoetry.org

    Ted Kooser was US Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. He writes very accessible poetry. He has a very practical approach to poetry.

Christian Writer's Market (Current Year)
www.stuartmarket.com

    This resource provides writing and poetry markets for the Christian writer. It is updated yearly.

Conference on Christianity and Literature
www.pepperdine.edu/sponsored/ccl

    I have not attended this conference. However, it looks very interesting. I assume it has a high literary standard for its poetry section.

Etymology Dictionary
www.etymonline.com

    This site is for poets who want to know more about the birth of a word into the English language.

Fizzy Funny Fuzzy Poetry
www.fizzyfunnyfuzzy.com/index.php

    If you write for children, this is a UK site with funny poems for children. Great site!

Giggle Poetry
www.gigglepoetry.com

    Good site for funny poems.

Internet Public Library
www.ipl.org

    This site has a ton of resources including almanacs, dictionaries, and encyclopedias. Great research site on facts you might want to include in your poems. 

Lannan Foundation
www.lannan.org/lf/audio/lannan-archives

    Find several hundred hours of interviews and readings of literary writers and poets here. Originally, poetry was only shared in oral form. I hope you will spend a little time listening and learning from these famous poets.

Lexical Freenet
www.lexfn.com

    This is a dictionary, thesaurus, and more. It provides synonyms in one and two word concepts. This is the only site I have found that links two words together.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online
www.merriam-webster.com

    If you need to hear the pronunciation of a word, listen on this site.
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National Association for Poetry Therapy
www.poetrytherapy.org

    This site is for professional counselors interested in the connection between poetry and therapy.

National Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy
www.nfbpt.com

    This site gives information about how to attain certification as a poetry therapist or become a registered poetry therapist.

Poetry 180
www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-home.html

    This site was a project of Billy Collins, started when he was Poet Laureate of the United States. It provides 180 poems--a poem for each day of a high school academic year. The poems are chosen for this age group.

Poet's Market (Current Year)
www.poetsmarket.com

    This book lists more than 400 pages of poetry markets. It is updated yearly.

Poetry Daily
www.poems.com

    This site has an anthology of literary poems.

Poetry for Kids
www.poetry4kids.com/index.php
    
    This is Kenn Nesbitt's site with his many examples of humorous poems for children.

Poetry Foundation
www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation

    This organization publishes one of the foremost literary journals in United States called Poetry. It provides cultural news about poetry in United States and more.

Poetry Markets Ezine
www.thepoetrymarket.com

    This lists hundreds of poetry markets every year. You may sign up for the free edition or purchase a subscription on this site.

Poetry Society of America
www.poetrysociety.org

    This site offers various poetry awards, has a list of places to publish your poetry: journals and publishers; contests; creative writing programs, and more.

Poets and Writers
www.pw.org

    If you want to know what is going on in the literary poetry world, Poets and Writers Magazine is the source for you.

Rhyme Zone
www.rhymezone.com

    This is a rhyming dictionary, thesaurus, and more.

Winning Writers
www.winningwriters.com/index.php

    This site lists more than 100 free poetry contests. Or you may purchase a subscription for access to more contests.

Writer's Digest Books
www.writersdigest.com

    Best source for books on writing, period.
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